Devon & Cornwall Police News site

Devon & Cornwall Police and students from City College, Plymouth have collaborated to create two videos about knife crime, aimed at the students’ peer group.

The project was designed to create messaging by young people for young people to bust the myth that you are safer if you carry a knife, to help people make the right decision about knife carrying.

Young people sometimes have an inaccurate picture of knife crime in Devon and Cornwall, believing it to be as prevalent as in more urban locations which have particular issues with deprivation and gang culture. This view may also be magnified by media reports. This causes young people to carry a knife because they think they will be safer, but the stark truth is that carrying a knife can put a person in more danger of being involved in a knife-related incident.

The nine students (aged 17 and 18) wrote, directed and starred in the videos which will be shared and promoted by City College and Devon & Cornwall Police through various channels.

Devon & Cornwall Police Force Lead for Knife Crime, Detective Chief Inspector Steve Fleetwood said “Knife crime in Devon and Cornwall is very low and we aim to keep it that way.  By working with students at the college to create these videos, we hope that their perspective will resonate with young people, encourage them to seek information about knife crime if they are unsure and provide pathways to reporting and advice if anyone has any concerns about knife carrying.

“We are very proud of the videos created by this team of young people and have really enjoyed collaborating with them. We hope to do so again in the future.

“In November, we launched our #NotTheOne website which provides information for all age groups around knife carrying, including educational packages for schools.  These videos will be a really useful addition to our website and, we hope, will provide relatable information for young people and help them make the safe choices about knife carrying.”

Chief Executive and Principal of City College, Jackie Grubb said:

“Working with the police on such an important project has been a real privilege for our college and builds on our strong existing relationship. We were delighted that the police chose to involve our students, who rose to the challenge and handled such a serious and sensitive subject with impressive maturity.

“The chance for our writers, directors and actors to receive real world feedback from the police was invaluable, and the powerful message in these videos will resonate widely.”

Tommy Holden, student and director/actor in the videos added:

“Working on this knife crime project has allowed me to develop as a filmmaker and make useful connections with people inside and outside the industry. I’ve enjoyed all the experiences I’ve had, and it’s allowed me to contribute to a production with real impact - and to tell a story with a strong message that I’m very proud of.”

The videos will be available to view on YouTube here:  Knife carrying – female lead

                                                                                       Knife carrying – male lead

And on the #NotTheOne website here.

If anyone has concerns about knife crime in their area, they are encouraged to report here: www.dc.police.uk/tua

If anyone has been a victim of any type of crime, support and advice are available via the Victim Care Unit.

Young people can report information about crime anonymously via the Fearless website.